Open AccessEvaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Resources in Developing Student Critical Thinking: Review of Literature and Case Study of a Critical Thinking Online Site
Author(s) -
Erst Carmichael,
Helen Farrell
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of university teaching and learning practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.258
H-Index - 8
ISSN - 1449-9789
DOI - 10.53761/1.9.1.4
Subject(s) - critical thinking , inclusion (mineral) , blackboard (design pattern) , mathematics education , psychology , higher education , qualitative research , resource (disambiguation) , educational technology , active learning (machine learning) , perception , pedagogy , sociology , computer science , social psychology , social science , computer network , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , political science , law , programming language
A graduate's ability to be a critical thinker is expected by many employers; therefore development of students’ critical-thinking skills in higher education is important. There is also a perception that today’s students are technologically "savvy", and appreciate the inclusion of a technological approach to learning. However, the complexity of the concept of critical thinking and the assumptions about students’ technological skills are debatable issues that require clarification and evidence-based research in terms of teaching and learning. This paper reports on a case study of an online Blackboard site at the University of Western Sydney, where analysis of patterns of usage of the online site and qualitative analysis of student feedback provide evidence to support its effectiveness for encouraging students' critical thinking. There is potential to expand this into a more widely usable teaching and learning resource in the future, and for further research to explore the benefits for student learning.